03 April 2013

MEPs will this week vote on new rules for
recycling ships and financial support for redundant workers. They will also
meet their national counterparts to discuss the implementation of European
environmental legislation as well as how the EU can help to prevent conflicts.
On Tuesday, the leaders of Parliament's two biggest political groups will chat
with our fans on Facebook.

Ship dismantling, which mostly takes place
in South Asia, is dirty and dangerous work. On Tuesday, the environment
committee will vote on new rules to ensure that old ships from the EU are
recycled in a way that respects workers' health as well as the environment. The
committee will also vote on whether to endorse a deal with the Council to
exempt foreign airlines from the EU's emissions trading system, which aims to
promote green investments. In addition committee members will discuss with
representatives of national parliaments how the EU's environmental laws can be
better implemented in the member states.

The budgets committee will vote on whether
to approve €7.5 million in unemployment aid for 270 former tobacco workers in
Austria and 856 former IT workers in Italy.

The creation of a European quality tourism
label and a harmonised star rating system for hotels will be discussed by the
transport committee and transport commissioner Antonio Tajani on Tuesday
afternoon.

On Monday, MEPs will meet their national
counterparts in Dublin to discuss how the EU can better contribute to defusing
potential conflicts in trouble spots in Africa and the Middle East.

There will be a chance to chat with the
leaders of the two biggest political groups on Facebook. From 11.00 CET on
Tuesday Joseph Daul, president of the EPP group, and Hannes Swoboda, president
of the S&D group, will be available to talk about various issues affecting
Europe.

On Tuesday, Parliament’s Science and
Technology Options Assessment Unit will hold a discussion about the development
of an integrated European information system to monitor and measure scientific
performance.